The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-11-03

ago the mother of these children died
and their father, feeling in need of an
other companion, met his present wife
1T Carlisle, Lorain county, near Elyria
md after a courtship of a few weeks
married her and brought her to his
house in Spencer. Here for the first
time she met the repulsive objects OF
her future care and criminal purpose.
She first banished these unfortunates
from her table, giving them the refuse
tOod. She also changed their sleeping
room from up stairs to back kitchen
md finally became so cruel in her treat.
nent of them as to arouse the indigna.
ion of the father and neighbors, who
demonstrated with her but in vain.
Thus matters stood till yesterday
when there was perpetrated crime ap
FALLING in its awful details and cruelty
If execution.
The Garrett place is very cO2y
lome, resting on a slight eminence OF
ground and nesting amid a fine orchard
The house is an old fashioned building
me and half stories high. NeighbOrs
Tic on all sides.
The crime was carefully planned and
arriedsinto execution with diabOlical
ingenuity and GOODNESS. Leaves were
aiken to the sleeping room of the girls
md scattered over the floor. Coal oil
vas then poured upon the leaves and
lumber of old newspapers, also satur
ted with oil, were added to the inham
nable mass. Then while the uncOn-
cious girls were wrapped in slumbel
he match was applied to the pile, the
oor was closed and locked from
he inside and the murderess
Mrs. Garrett is really guilty, made
ler escape by crawling through u win.
low. Neighbors were attracted to tho
Gene by the light and flames that be
AN to make their appearance, anC
When they arrived at the scene fount
he stepmother removing the furniture
rom the building. She is said to have
informed the persons first on the scent
hat some one had come in and killed
he girl, and set fire to the house, and
hat she was trying to save things.
The fire was soon eXtinguished and
in entrance forced into the room of the
yirls, both of whom were found dead
The victims had evidently been aroused
rom their slumbers by the fire ant
imoke, only to find that all means Of
,scape had been cut off, and were speed
ly overcome by the suffocating flames
The corpses lay on the bed where
hey were sleeping when they met theh
leath. The oldest, who, though chilo
N action and intelligence, was never
jheless 45 years old, lay on the pillows
;he lower part of her body hang
.ng over the side of the bed. Hel
eft leg had been severely burned
DR.. Wiley, of Spencer, says it was
his opinion that the burn was caused
by a severe scald from hot water OF
steam. The victim also had an abra.
sion of. the face the size of
quarter of dollar, and finger marks
were plainly seen on the throat as il
there had been a struggle for life. The
younger girl lay on the floor. Beyond
dilated eyes and discolored face there
we're no marks of violence visible. The
burns were not severe.
When questioned, Mrs. Garrett re-
lated the following story of the dis
covery of the fire and death of the
girls:
Il don't know what woke me up, but
think it must have been a noise in the
barn, as we have horse that is uneasy
and gives us much trouble. / got up
and dressed myself, went to the barn,
and as l came back thought would
take q look at the clothesline In order
to do so had to pass near the window
where the girls sleep. noticed light
in the room and saw smoke coming
out of a broken window. / rushed to
the window and pounded on the blinds
to awake them, but could not make
them hear. l then went back to the
door, and going upstairs aroused my own
girls. We went to work in our excite
ment to remove furniture, and tried to
wake up the old man. / don't know
why he slept so soundly unless he had
taken too much morphine. l finally
got him up and sent my girl to Mr..
Demick, and when he came he kicked
down the door to the poor girls room
and took out the bodies of the poor
dead creatures" At this point she
broke down and wept.
GLOW the fire started" she continued,
cor how the door was fastened, / don't
know. The leaves were carried in by
the girls for bed for their kitten.
They thought world Of their cat, you
know. If there was any oil on the
floor, the girls must have split it during
the day. Now this is Gods truth. l
know / shan't have to answer for their
death. They may hang me but I never
killed them"
Mrs. Garrett is a young looking
woman-not over 40 years old--and
rather prepossesing in appearance.
She has been placed under arrest, but
does not seem to realize the enormity of
the crime for which she is suspected.
The coroner's jury is investigating.
The crime has created tremendous
sensation in this locality.